Water and liquids used in construction, industrial, mining and well drilling operations can contain suspended solids after being used. In some instances, governmental laws and regulations can require that the removal of the suspended solids must be carried out before the water or liquids can be introduced into the environment. In other instances, the recovery of the liquids, once the solids have been removed, can reduce the costs of the operation by re-using the liquids instead of discarding the liquids and using new or fresh liquids at a higher cost.
Waste water and sewage can contain suspended solids. In some instances, governmental laws and regulations can require that the removal of the suspended solids must be carried out before the water or liquids can be introduced into the environment. In other instances, the recovery of the liquids, once the solids have been removed, can reduce the costs of the operation by re-using the liquids instead of discarding the liquids and using new or fresh liquids at a higher cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,916 issued to Zimmie et al. on Apr. 16, 1963, which is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety, describes a method of flocculating and preventing the accumulation of solids or silt in cooling systems by introducing water-soluable polyelectrolytic organic polymers into aqueous cooling systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,526 issued to Corbett on Jan. 14, 1975, which is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety, describes a solid flocculant that can be placed into an effluent stream or body of water to release flocculant into the stream or water at a controlled rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,886 issued to Iwinski on Feb. 24, 1998, which is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety, describes a process for using polymer to remove dissolved and particulate metal from mine waste water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,620 issued to Iwinski on Aug. 18, 1998, which is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety, describes the coating of waste rock with polymer to retard the leaching of metal from the waste rock.
The shortcomings of the prior art are that they do not provide a cost-effective and efficient method of flocculating or settling of solids suspended in liquids. In addition, the prior art concerning waste water treatment systems does not provide a cost-effective and efficient method of flocculating or settling of solids suspended in liquids, as these prior art methods and systems can take 2 to 5 weeks to clarify water using microbial reactions.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a composition and a method of using the composition that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art, and to provide a system and a method of treating water and, in some embodiments, sewage that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.